We have just learned that Senator Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii) has passed away at 88. Whatever else the president pro tempore of the Senate was, he was a Nazi-socking badass of a G.I.:

In the fall of 1944, Inouyes unit was shifted to the French Vosges Mountains and spent two of the bloodiest weeks of the war rescuing a Texas Battalion surrounded by German forces. The rescue of The Lost Battalion is listed in the U.S. Army annals as one of the most significant military battles of the century. Inouye lost ten pounds, became a platoon leader and won the Bronze Star and a battlefield commission as a Second Lieutenant.

Back in Italy, the 442nd was assaulting a heavily defended hill in the closing months of the war when Lieutenant Inouye was hit in his abdomen by a bullet which came out his back, barely missing his spine. He continued to lead the platoon and advanced alone against a machine gun nest which had his men pinned down. He tossed two hand grenades with devastating effect before his right arm was shattered by a German rifle grenade at close range. Inouye threw his last grenade with his left hand, attacked with a submachine gun and was finally knocked down the hill by a bullet in the leg.

Dan Inouye spent 20 months in Army hospitals after losing his right arm. On May 27, 1947, he was honorably discharged and returned home as a Captain with a Distinguished Service Cross (the second highest award for military valor), Bronze Star, Purple Heart with cluster and 12 other medals and citations.

"My father just looked straight ahead, and I looked straight ahead, and then he cleared his throat and said, 'America has been good to us. It has given me two jobs. It has given you and your sisters and brothers education. We all love this country. Whatever you do, do not dishonor your country. Remember  never dishonor your family. And if you must give your life, do so with honor.' I knew exactly what he ment. I said, 'Yes, sir. Good-bye." Daniel Inouye

The longer they stay the more IOUs they collect and the more pork they bring home to their district.

Term limits should be worth experimenting with it. If it didn't prove out we could just back to the “die in office” limit.

We have a legislative format in Texas where the Legislature is only in-session part time. Nationally, this could cut way back on the never ending waterfall of new laws that don't really do much that is new or needed.

13
posted on 12/17/2012 7:07:51 PM PST
by X-spurt
(Ted Cruz for President of the Republic of Texas)

Brave actions performed due to the
necessity of the day in WWII in no
way make up for the willful deliberative
abuses of power and violations of the
Constitution this person committed for
half a century.

1970ish hairstylist then 17, covered up by the dem’s establishment, Fairly well scrubbed now. But older political junkies will remember, last looked only one political ad left referencing the rape, in the victims own voice.

The problem, as I have heard it framed, is not the elected representatives; it is the horde of bureaucrats who provide the support staff for all the reps’ offices. They are not replaced when a rep is, they stay on (and on and on and...). Constantly getting fledgling reps into office would actually compound the problem as the staff would basically steamroll them by building legislation that the rep could never understand, yet would be pressed to put into law.

Now, requiring that the staff go with the rep could have merit. Yes, constant turnover of staff would mean less cunning and insider-knowledge to build trojan horse legislation, and a higher amount of honest folks in each office; it would also mean less efficiency and therefore would stem the tide of legislation, as it would take longer to produce readable bills. However, it would also make it much harder to build the occasional actually-needed bills in a way that makes sure they are properly written, and could result in overturning useful legislation on technicalities by private activists who know how to game the court system. Plus, neophyte lawmakers would be even more at the mercy of a potentially-packed Supreme Court or activist Executive Branch.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) denied new allegations of sexual harassment made by nine women who telephoned a state lawmaker, most without giving their names.

The allegations follow public accusations against Inouye, 68, last month by his former hair stylist, Lenore Kwock, who said Inouye sexually assaulted her 17 years ago.

Kwock called Inouye's behavior both a sexual "attack" and a sexual "assualt." The only thing I rememeber at the time was the phrase "sexual assault." I don't recall any further details. [She also claimed he repeatedly sexually "harassed" her over a period of years; again with few details of what constituted the harassment.]

Inouye's closest re-election challenge came in 1992 when his Republican opponent, state Sen. Rick Reed of Maui, obtained a tape recording of Inouye's longtime hairstylist, Lenore Kwock, claiming Inouye had pressured her into sex in 1975 and later sexually harassed her. Reed was criticized  by Kwock and the leaders of his own party  for going public with the steamy allegations in campaign advertisements. Inouye denied the claims and won re-election with 54 percent of the vote, the lowest victory margin of his career.

Kwock called Inouye's behavior both a sexual "attack" and a sexual "assualt." The only thing I rememeber at the time was the phrase "sexual assault." I don't recall any further details. [She also claimed he repeatedly sexually "harassed" her over a period of years; again with few details of what constituted the harassment.]

You--"I imagine 99% of us could be guilty of some level of sexual harassment at some point, unless queer."

Why be so dismissive of her claims of sexual assault, and what do you mean "us", leave me out of your disgusting claim.

32
posted on 12/18/2012 8:10:55 AM PST
by ansel12
(Romney--guns not for recreation or self-defense"sole purpose of hunting down and killing people".)

It depends on the meaning of FOS. In my lexicon, he is not FOS, only PCS (Partially Containing Sh!t.) The Senator is alleged to have sexaully assaulted a woman who continued to see him. I don't know if English even has a word for that level of idiocy, but "complicity" is not the one I'd choose. Since the allegations never led to an indictment or conviction, I would not call him a rapist any more than I would call Bill Clinton a rapist based on Juanita Broaddrick's testimony.

Trying to re describe “sexual assault”by a sitting Senator, and what Rush Limbaugh in the 1990s described as him groping her up under her clothing as he cut her hair, as mere “sexual harassment” and something that “I imagine 99% of us could be guilty of some level of sexual harassment at some point, unless queer.”, is just incredibly weak and weird, creepy actually.

41
posted on 12/18/2012 4:19:15 PM PST
by ansel12
(Romney--guns not for recreation or self-defense"sole purpose of hunting down and killing people".)

For you to dismiss claims of groping under clothing as I imagine 99% of us could be guilty of some level of sexual harassment at some point, unless queer. is just flat out creepy and without question it sounds like someone with deep problems with women.

43
posted on 12/18/2012 7:14:14 PM PST
by ansel12
(Romney--guns not for recreation or self-defense"sole purpose of hunting down and killing people".)

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